Morocco-Europe Bus Companies Strike Over New Customs Regulations

To protest against the restrictions imposed on passengers and luggage, the companies observed a week-long strike following the implementation by the customs officers at the port of Algeciras of new regulations. Among those that do not satisfy the drivers is the obligation imposed on them to unload all the passengers’ luggage before boarding the boat. Thus, the owners of luggage and parcels must be present during customs clearance, which is impossible given that many companies have made transport between Morocco and Europe a very lucrative business.

And the penalty is immediate and especially very heavy against all those who do not comply with the new regulations. Drivers have thus been ordered to pay a fine of between 1,000 and 3,000 euros for not having emptied their load.

This restriction imposed by the Spanish authorities has a direct consequence on the MREs who are used to taking this means of transport. On routes between Tangier and Barcelona, tickets are currently sold at 80 euros, while they were negotiated at 45 euros just a few months ago.

The Spanish authorities seem to be going to war against Moroccan carriers, since at the beginning of the year, a new circular had banned trailers for buses coming from Morocco. These are mainly used for the transport of luggage and parcels.

Until now, this service was billed in any agency in Morocco. To transport a package between the kingdom and France, it was